Means for excluding drafts from open doorways.



BEST AVALABLE COF" No. 774,730. PA'IENIED NOV. 8, 1904;

T. V'AN KANNBL. y MEANS PoR-EXCLUDING DRAFTS FROM OPEN DOORWANS.Y

APrLroA'rIoN mmm man. 2a. 190s. nnNswnn 0013.8, 1904. No MODEL. I 4 vsnmz'rs-SHBBT 1.

A uw@ fifi. l c/S'." Jef/@Miam .y t. Z. 1/

BEST AvAxLABLEQoP No. 774,730. PATBNTED NOV. 8. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

'I'. VAN KANNEL.

MEANS FOR BXGLUDING DRAE/TS FROM OPEN DOORWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 28. 1903. RBNBWED QUT. 9| 1904.

- 7 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Nimm. Nw

BEST AVAILABLE COP l PATBNTED Nov. s, 1,904. T. VAN KANNEL. MEANS POR BXCLUDING DRAPTS PROM oPBN DooRwAYs'.

,W .f u, W l d .i W I /f -8MM/ W///y .w.. A n Q l-- ArPLIcAlIoN FILED run. za. 1903. RENBWED 0012s. 1904. No MODEL.

. #www BEST AVAILABLE @QF No. 774,730. L -MTEN'JTED NOV. 8,119-04. T. VAN KANNEL.

MEANS PoR BXGLUDING DRAPTS PROM OPEN DooRWAYs.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 28, 1903. BENIJWBD 00T. 8, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 'IBHEETB-SHEBT 4.

BEST AVAILABLE COF No. 774.730. PATBNTED Nov. a. 1904.

T. VAN lKANNEL. MEANS FOR BXGLUDING DRAFTs PROM OPEN DooRWAYs.

APPLICATION FILED IEVB. 28. 1903; RENEWED 00T. B, 1904.

BEST AVAlLABLE COF" No. 774,730. PATENTED NOV. 8Y 1904.

T. VAN KANNEL. MEANS POR BXGLUDING DRAETS FROM OPEN DGORWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. 1903. BENBWED 00T. 8, 1904. .NO XODB'L. l 7 SHEETS-SHEET WKK@ Mmww .fg/fw @7,

BEST AVMLABLE COP NATBNTBD Nov. s, 1904.

T. VAN KANNEL.

MEANS PoR BXGLUDING DRAPTS PROM OPEN DooRwAYs.

GATION FILED FEB. 28. 903. BENBWED 00T. 8, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

i at Bedford Park, county of New York, State .of New York, haveinvented certain new and the elements.

.To all whoml it may concern.:

tection alorded Aby closed doors without oblused a great amount of dust is liable to enter.

BEST AVAILABLE co;D`

Ne. 774,730. I y, UNITED STATES;

Patented. November 8, 1 904.

PATENT f OFFICE.'

MEANS Fon EXCLUDINGDRAFTS FROM OPEN DooswAYs.

sPEcIFIcATIoN forming part ef Lettere Patent Ne. 774,730, dated November s, 1904.

Application'led February 28, 1903.V Renewed October 8, 1904. Serial IIa-227,653. (No'modeL). l

Beit known'that I, T I'IEOPHILUS VAN KAN- NEL, a citizen of the United States, residing useful Improvements in Means for Excluding Drafts from Open Doorways, fully described and represented in the following 'specification and the accompanying drawings, formingy a part of the same.

The object of this invention is to furnish a means of excluding wind, snow, rain,.and dust from open doorways so as to furnish the prostruetion to the free movement of passers which is caused by doors adapted to exclude I-Iereto fore revolving doors, wh ich form the most improved device for the purpose, have been employed in the winter seasonto exclude wind from door-ways, while permitting the movement of passers; but the wings of revolving doors are an inconvenient obstruction to the free movement of passers and give only a limited capacity for a given width of entrance. Such revolving doors are commonly removed in the warm season, and if the doorway be left open or ordinary swing-doors 'be The entrance of dust through windows can be more or less prevented by suitable screens and ventilation obtained by filtered air; but as thesev safeguards do not apply toan open doorway -the damage occasioned by the entrance of dust through such a doorway is very great and has in average stores been estimated at several thousand dollars per season.

In the present invention I prevent the entrance of dust or wind through an open doorway by projecting an opposing blast of air outwardly .from the doorway, such4 blast being emitted from suitable nozzles in the top, bottom, or side walls of the doorway or in theV Corresponding 4walls of a passage-way extended inward from the door or from an air-chamber arranged in any suitable position in the required proximity to the doorway to-direot` the blast toward the same. vThe direction of the blast outwardly is facilitated andmeans for regulating the blast more readily applied To till the passage-waywith an outward,

blast of air, Aso as to wholly exclude entering currents, 4the passage-way is preferably made of suitable width-say thirty inches-to permit the free movement of passers in one di# rection only and a similar adjacent passageway provided for movement in the opposite direction.

To automatically proportion theypressure of the blast to the current tending to enter the passage-way, a balanced valve may be inserted in the conduit which supplies the blast,

and a yielding surface or surfaces affected by' variations of pressure or velocity ot the air 1n the passage-way may be connected mechanically with such balanced valve, so as toincrease the air-blast when the outside current presses more forcibly into the passage-way o r to diminish the blast when the outside current becomes weaker than the blast.

Various modifications of the invention are shown A in the annexed drawings, in one of which the opposed walls of the passage-way are provided with vacuum-chambers adjacent to the blast-chambers, so that circuits of the airblastare constantly moving from the blastchambers to lthe vacuum-chambers, the tnomentum and velocity of such air-blast currents preventing the wind from entering the building. .In such case the blast would be produced by a rotary fan or blower and the The passage-way may be extend ed partly outside of the building, and the blastchambers upon'its side may be con nected with an air-box upon the'top of the passage-way outside the building, and the same current of v vacuum-chambers connected with the intake 95 ofthe fan.

IOO

BEST AvAiLAeLE coP wind which tends to'enter the passage-way may also be conducted into such air-box by deliectors extended upwardly at a su itable angle from the top of such air-box. The air introduced to the air-box is discharged yfrom the blast-chamber and operates in great 4degree to oppose the air-current entering the doorway.

Figure 1 is afront elevation of the entrance to a large building provided with four doorways. Fig. 2 is a plan of two adjacent passageways provided with blast-nozzles and blastregulating apparatus. 'Figi 3 is a plan of a singlel passage-way having exhaust-chambers upon the sides of the passage-wayto form continuous circuits .of outwardly-moving air in the passage-way to prevent a current from endischarging a blast directly in .the doorway,

and Fig. 8 is a vertical section of a building with sundry appliances for supplying the blast to the doorway. Fig. 9`shows the blast discharged from a blast-box opposite the door' way in plan, like Figs. 2. and 3. Fig.'10I

shows the same in vertical section, 'like Fig. 4;

and Fig. 11 shows a plan of a further modilator of the blast.

lnFig. 1 the vestibule'for a large buildilig E is shown with four open doorways A.l A' BB', having passage-ways al' a' l l extended Ainwardly therefrom, the doorways A and B being provided with hinged wickets A B2, adapted to open outward only and labeled to direct entering passers to the passage-ways a' and l'. The inner ends of the passages a' and l' would be provided, as shown at a? in Fig.. 2, with similar wickets directing the outgoin passers to the passage-ways a and l. y

Doors D are shown hinged to the inner side lication with a bellows-box to act as a r'egui Y of each door-frame for closing the 4passageways at night or when the weather is v ery stormy. Such doors' are preferably sunk in recesses in the opposite sides of the passage ways, as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows the-construction suited for two doorways A A only, the dividing-wall or partition C between the two passage-ways a, and a. being constructed to -furnish and direct blasts into both the passage-ways, while each of the outer walls C' is shown provided only with means for discharging the blast into one of such passage-ways. W here more in Fig; 1, all the `partition-walls would be* constructed (like the wall C) to discharge the 'blast into two adjacent passage-ways. y

o designates the blast-chambers formed. in i the walls andsupplied with the'vert'ical conduit o'. Inclined slats e arexed in the outer side of the blast-chamber to deiect the air toward the doorwayAA or A', the blast from the opposing walls meeting in the middle of the passage-way and filling the whole of the same, soas'to effectively oppose vany entering current. Y l l Mansfor automatically regulating blast- Adjoining the chambers @are recesses f in the walls, -in which regulating-wings g are hinged and projected sufficiently into the pasforce of the blast, and thus neutralize the en- 'tering current.

' `prings may, if required, be applied-to the wings to balance any portion of the pressure or to aid in moving the blast-valve connected with the wings.A The blast delivered to the cham;

bers may be regulated by forming the conduit,

c', as shown in Fig. 5, with a vertical slotted tube m and surrounding the same with a slotof the connection n' tothe wings g, serves to vary the outlet of the blast. A balanced butterfly-valve may, if preferred, be inserted in the conduit at any convenient point and operated by connection to the wings. Such a valved is shown in Fig. 8 operated by the connection n. Instead of the wings a box with {iexible sides like an organ-bellows may be formed onthe wall of the passage-way -fand the interior of the bellows connected with the apartment to which'thepassage-way opens. Such a` regulator is shown in Fig. 11, the box Ihaving exible'sides J, and its movable wall having a connection G to a bellsage-way to be aiected by any passingcurrent ofair. Such Wings, as shown in Fig. 5, are con- A sage-way and -push the wings'inwardly,which movement would be utilized to increase the IOO ted shell n, the oscillation of which, by means/ .lIO

crank H, which is also connected by a link would operate theregulating apparatus, as

already described.

The wings g are shown passers by a net or guard g'.

than two passage-ways are provided, as shown f and 8 suction-chambers z' are shown in the walls Blast-circuits to oppose wlmi- In Figs. 3v

protected from I C of a passage-way adjacent to the blast-cham- Vbers c, and such vacuum-cham bers are shown in Fig. 8 connected with the suction-opening F' of the fan F, which furnishes the blast to the blast-chambers c. Such arrangement of vthe blast and suction chambers-produces continuous air-circuits, as indicated by the arrows j in Fig. 3 and Fig. 8, which till the passage-way with, an outward current. and prevent'the wind from entering. Opposing blast generated by. wand 0m'- TeWta-Figsl 4, 6, and 8 show means for in;-

i ing roof C2, one-halt' of which is extended out- 'of the passage-way. upwardly and outwardly from the top of the box', so that thewind (indicated bythe arwardly'beyond the front of the building, and a box llc, formed upon the roof of such outward portion and connected by fducts c' with a blast-chamber c2, which is shown in the ioor Defiectors l are sloped rows lt) which blows toward the building or passage-way a2 is partly intercepted and deiected downwardly into the box and thence The upper surface of the blast-chamber is provided with metallic slats e, lset sufficiently tothe blast-chamber c2. I f.

close together to form a floorand inclined to discharge the air toward the doorway. Deiiectors. Z, adjacent to the deiiectors l, are also connected with ducts which lead through the roof C2 of the passage-way and are inclined toward the doorway, S0 as to discharge forwardly the wind which .is caught by the defiectors Z'. An outwardly-moving current is thus generated in the passage-way upon opposite sides of the same which has the same force as the inwardly-moving current, excepting theloss caused by friction in the channels through which it passes and suction caused by buoyancy of warm air within the building.

Where a building is heated in the cold season, the current of cold air entering the doorway tends to move most forcibly along the floor or lower part-of the passage-way, and

where such conditions exist it is especially de-f sirable to place one of the blast-chambers in the oor of the passage-way, as shown in Fig. 4. AS the force ot' the air conducted into the passage-way by the detlectors is proportioned to the force of wind blowing toward the building, the pressure opposed to the enteringcurrent'is automatically regulated.

Fig. 8 shows means for utilizing the external wind-pressure when available and atother times of supplying .the blastchamber by means of a fan. The wind-deector is shown isa pivoted cowl L, located upon the top of thc building to secure a more steady air-current and combined with an air-filter to remove dust from the air when the air is used only .As the outer air tendsto'enfor ven tilati'on.

ter a heated building near thev ground, a curlrent tends to'enter the doorway` even when no wind is blowingnear such doorway. If a wind be blowing in some other dlrectlon at the top of the building, it may be utilized to oppose the entering currentiby using the pivoted cowl L, having a vane L to keep it turned toward the wind. The cowlisshown connected -by duct O with blast-chambersc in the side of the passage a and with a branch pipe O' discharging into the upper part of the building.

'A valve O2 is shown at the junction -of the pipes O and O' to close the branch, as represented, when the wind isused to'supply the When not thus used, the' blast-chamber c.

valve would be turned to throw the air into the apartment E3 at the top of the building. This air being ltered is adapted for diffusion' throughout the vbuilding without injury to a its contents.'Y The cowl may thus be used for ventilation in 4warm weather or when the current is not strong enough to protect the doorway. When of 'suiiicient strength, the currentgenerated by the wind l itself operates automaticallyto exclude a great part of the en- 4tering current and serves to greatly reduce A the admission of wind-and'dust to the buildi ing without the expense of operating any blast machinery.

A wing'g is shown in the roof of the passage-way in Fig. 8, connected by rod n with a buttery-valve d2 in the duct O to Are, ;ulate the discharge of the blast. The fan F is shown with'its suction-opening F," connected to a vacuum-chamber i in the wall of the passage-way and its outlet-pipe connected with the blast-chamber c. A butteriiy-valve d is shown in said outlet-pipe and connected by a rod n with the wing g, and such wing thus -Operates to'regulate the blast, whether derived from the wind or the fan.

Directprotectz'on ofdoorway.-The extenl sion of a narrow passageway inward from the doorway facilitates the application of -the opposing blast as 'well as the mechanical means which may lbe required for 'regulating the force of such blast; but Where such a passage- -way cannot be extended inwardly the doorway can be protected from the entrance of IOO IIO

wind by forming the door-frame or door-jamb P upon opposite sides with the blast-cham- 4 bers c and providing a suitable hinged wing g upon an additional sidel of the doorway-as, for instance, the top-to operate the regulating mechanism. The face of the door-frame P is shown inclined inwardly toward the passage, and the slats c, as the 4series extends inward from theentranc'e, incline more and more toward the middle of the passage, by which arrangement the enter-ing wind is intercepted very eliectively.

'Figs 9 and 10 show a means of opposing I -the entering'current without forming any v "transversely in` the front of the box and 'ad- I A escape from the building through the upper part of the passage-way, the entering current of passers 1n the by side, their ,use is very greatly facilitated i the passers moving in opposite directions, and

- blast-chambers-in the door-posts or Walls o'f.

permits.

. ting the currententering at a doorway may be I 'used to sit various conditions existing in the plied; but such/variety shows that the construction and location of the means for pro- `which consists, essentially, in opposing by .to such doorways.

and. the term "blast is used in connection .current of air which moves therefrom'in suii- -any entering current.

` eEsT AVALABLE COF the passage-way, the blast-box 15 being shown within the building opposite the doorway, which in this figure is shown provided with a passage-way; but such passage-way is nota necessary adjunct when the blast-box is used.A Fans gare shown-'within theblast-box directmay be driven by a simple belt r. Thel blastbox p furnishes the blast-chamberl in this form of the invention. Vertical slats s within the box serve to direct 4the air forwardly, and a series justed bymeans ofcrank-arms u and arod o,

provided witha clamp-screw w. The adjust- -ment of the blind-slatsis provided 4to throw the air downwardly 'when necessaryin where the entering current is strongest inthe lower partof the doorway or passage-way extended therefrom. As 'the cold air tends to requires the strongest opposition in the lower part, which the l adjustability of the slats- The various means shown herein for oppos-4 buildings to which the invention may be apducing the opposing blast may bev widely varied without departing from my invention,

means of an outwardly-directed blastl the wind or air current which tends to enter an open doorway. It' is obvious that any suitable blower may be used to mechanically generate the required blast in this invention.

The wickets A2 a3 B2 in Figs. 1 and 2 are showirof skeleton form and have no effect in retarding the entrance or exit of the air andy are intended to be' of such constructionas not in any degree Vto oppose the free movement proper directionthrough the doorways.

' Where a plurality of doorways is used side by appropriating the alternate doorways to any means may be used .to direct the passers The term blast-chamber has been used herein as descriptive of the chamber from .which the air is projected toward the doorway,

with such blast-chamber as descriptive of the cientvolume to suitably oppose and neutralize. The term blast is not in this .application used in the sense in which it is sometimes employed to signify a current moving at a particularly high velocity,

but designates the current which is projected vention, what is claimed herein is- 1. `The combination, with an open doorway, of. a blower to provlde an air-blast, an airl chamber in proximity to the ldoorway and inconnection 'with said blower, and 'means upon such air-chamber for directing the air outward toward and through th'e 'open doorway.

2. The combination, with a doorway, of

[toward-the doorwayhat any suitable velocity to prevent the 'entrance of the external air. Having thus set forth the-nature of the inmeans to direct an air-blast outwardly through such doorway, and' meansfoperated by variations 'in the movement of the air in the doorway `to 'regulate the force of the outward blast.

3. The combination, with a doorway having a passage-way extended inward from the entrance, and the wall, ilioor or ceiling of such passage-way provided with a blast-chamber,

-o'f meansfor supplying air lto such chamber,

and means for directingtoward the entrance ,of the passage-way the air discharged from such chamber. It

4. The combinatiomwitha doorway having a passage-way extended inward from the entrance, and the wall, iio'or or ceiling of such passage-way provided with a blast-chamber, of means' for supplying air to such chamber, means for directing toward the entrance of the passage-way theairdischarged from such chamber, meansl for regulating the force of such air-blast, and a wing or movable plate in the passage connected-with such regulating means andoperated by the air-current entering the passage, to control such regulation automatically.

5. The combination, with adoorway having a passage-way extended inward from the entrance, and the wall, 'floor lor ceilingof such passage-way provided with a 4blast-chamber, of means for supplying air to such chamber, means, for directing toward the entrance of the-passage-way the air discharged from such chamber, a conduit supplying air to the blast- IOO chamber, a valve in the conduit and a yielding wing u'pon the wall of the passage-waywith connection to4 such valve, and operated by the entering current to regulate the outward blast.

6. The combination, witha' doorway having apassage-way extended inward from the entrance, and the wall,.floor or ceiling of such passage-way provided with a blast-chamber, of .means for supplying air to 'such chamber, means for directing toward the entrance of the passage-way the air discharged from such chamber, a A'conduit supplying air'to the blastchamber, a valve in the conduit, hinged wings projected into the passage to be operated by the air-currents, and a guard over such wings I to protect them from the passers.

7. The combination, with an open doorway havinga passage-way extended inward from the entrance, of an air-chamber in proxnity to the passage-way, an air-blower conl acted to supply an air-blast to the chamber,

BEST AVAILABLE COF:-`

blast-chamber, an air-filter connected with such blast-chamber bya conduit, and a deld means upon the chamber adapted to direct l e air, and lill the passage-.Way with an outard blast to exclude entering currents. 8. The combination, with a doorway having passage-way. extended inward from the'en` ance, and having blast-chambers in oppo- ;e sides with means for supplying blast ereto,'of means for directing the blast to- Lrd the entrance so as to wholly fill the pasge with an outward blast to exclude enterg currents. l9. The combination, with a doorway having )assage-way extended inward from the en- `luce, and the wall, fioor or ceiling of 'such ssage-ivay provided with a blast-chamber, means for directing toward-the entrance of a passage-way the air discharged from such amber, a conduit connecting such chamber 3h the outer vair, and a defiector connected th the mouth of such'conduit and exposed the'outer wind-currents to deiiect the sar'ne o the conduit, and chamber, so as to op- ;e the entering current. 0. The combination, with a doorway hava passage-'way extended inward from the rance, and the fioor, wall or ceiling of such sage-way provided with a blast-chamber, Deans for directing toward the entrance of passage-way the air discharged f/rom such st-chamber, a conduit extended from such st-chamber to the roof of the building, and Hector above the -roof of the building to ict the wirid into such conduit.

1. The combination, with a doorway hava passage-way extended inward from the Iance, andthe floor, wall or ceiling of such sage-way provided with .a blast-chamber, ueans for directing toward the entrance of passage-way the air discharged lfrom such t-chamber, aconduit extended from such t-chamber to the roof of the building, and voted cowl connected with such conduit Je the roof of the building, to direct the l from any quarter into such conduit and t-chamber.

5. 'lhe combination, with a doorway hav# a passage-way extended inward from the ance, and the ijloor, wall or ceiling of such age-way provided with a blast-chamber, leans for directing toward the entrance of passage-way the air discharged from such flector above the roof of the building connected to such air filter to discharge air through the same into the blast-chamber.

13. The combination, with a doorway hav ing a passage-way extended inward from the entrance, and a floor in such passage-way provided with a blast-cham ber, of means for supplying air to such iioor blast-chamber, and means for directing toward the entrance of the passage-way the air discharged from such chamber. Y

14. The combination, with the doorway of a building, of a blast-box within the building opposite to such doorway at a suitable distance to permit entrance, means for discharging air from the box, and slats upon the box for directing the blast toward the doorway.

15. The combination', with the doorway of a building, of a blast-box within the buildingi opposite to such doorway at a'suitable `dis'' tance to permit entrance, means for discharging air from the box, and slats adjustable upon the box for directing the air upward or downward toward the doorway.

16. Apparatus for preventing `air-drafts through doorways, comprising means for directing opposed and automatically-counterl balancing air-currents therethrough.

17., Means for directing air-currents outwardly through a doorway, in combination with means controlled by the pressure of incoming air-currents, for automatically regulating the force of such incoming currents.

18. In combination with a doorway, means controlled by the current of incoming air for producing opposed and automatically-balancing air-currents. n

19. In combination with an extended doorway-passage having outwardly-inclined air.

vents in its wall, air-blast apparatus communicating therewith and means actuated by incoming air-currents for automatically controlling the force of the air-currents through said vents. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THEOPHILUS VAN 'KANNEL Witnesses: l l J THOMAS S. CRANE, L. LEE. 

